Process of assembling resilient joints



June 4, 1935. H. w. ALDEN ET AL PROCESS OF ASSEMBLING RESILIENT JOINTS Filed Oct. 29, 1932 Patented June 4, 15935 *rnoonss F Herbert t v Detroit, 'Mich., as'signors to The Timken-Deration of Ohio (Company,v Detroit, Mi'cln, a corpo-I e .Applicationldctoben 29, 1932, se iain 's azse .1 Tweet (em Our invention relates to resilient joints; particularly resilient universal joints of the. type wherein a sleeve of rubber or analogous material is held. under compression between. the inner and outer membersof the joint and allowsyrelative movement of said members by internal deformation of the rubber. The principal-objectof the present invention is todevise a simple-,- rapid and economical process of assemblingire'silientjoints of the I type above mentioned. The invention consists in the processhereinafter described-and claimed.,

In the accompanying drawing; whichforms part of this specification and-wherein like sym- Fig. lis a longitudinal sectional ViBW;0f a re silient unima'rsal joint adapted for. assembly in.

- with acircumferential groove- II.

joint membenjwith the rubber ring-3a vulcan- I 'ized thereon and with the plunger pin'9 mounted 2 thereinwith its flanged end It! uppermost. is:

accordance with our process,

Fig. 2' is, a longitudinal sectionshowing the parts of saidjoint readyfor assembly,

Fig. 3 is a view similarto. Fig. 2 -showing.therubber sleeve being forced throughthe loading funnel; and

Fig. 4 is a similar view sho ing the rubber, sleeve driven beyond its'working position [and held in such position while the retaining ring'is fitted within the outer member efthe joint; I

The resilient universal joint construction illustrated in the accompanying"drawing*come 30,

in saidshell and a sleeve f rubber or other: an-

alogous material compressed between said. outer.

shell and said inner, member..- Thenouter shell is vulcanized or otherwise bonded to the inner.

member 2 so that relative movement of the two joint members is accommodated by the internal deformation of the rubber and not by sliding or rubbing of the rubber on said members. As shown in the drawing, the inner joint member 2 is preferably barrel-shaped in axial section; and likewise the inner surfaces of the outer joint member I and the retaining-ring I have a longitudinal curvature corresponding to the longibols refer to like parts wherever they occur, I

ing it to-elongate in-amaxial direction. .A suit.- prises ametallic-outer-memberin the form of a tube or shell I, ametallic-inner member!- with- I of thejointisshown provided witn a radialt'udinal peripheral.purvatureaofisaid inner jointmember J5 1 11 v. I! --.In assembling the "-above'joint in accordance with our-process, an :annularmass off-rubber 3asuificientto form thefrubber sleeve 3 of the 5 finished-joint, is vulcanized tothe peripheral surface of r the inner-joint member 2 ,-a loading funnel 8 is placed upon the outer shell or joint member -I with-its-small end:down and in regr ister with the retainingring. receiving-end of 10 said shell,-- and a plunger, pin 9 is inserted "in the axial bore 5; of said inner member. The I plunger pin ,9 :is providedzat one end with a circumferential: flange -IU,. which abuts against one end-of the inner joint imember 2;"and the other end of said pin-projects beyond the'other end of said -inner-joint member and is provided The inner centered within. the loading; funnel =8 and pressure is then applied to said-end of said pin-to I force said inner. joint member and the .rubber funnel into the outer shell 'or jointmember I thereby compressing said rubber ring between said innerandouter joint members and caus-,

able lubricant ,iss'upplied tothe loading funnel 8 during the operation of.introdu cing the rubber ring 3a into; the outer-joint member; in or--. der to prevent gripping of said rubberringupon 1; the metal parts.

. As shown in Fig.4, the rubberring 3a is-driven into the outer shell. I far enough beyond its de- I sired position .to permit the retainingring '11t0 against the inwardly curved opposite end of the opening in the outer shell by means of a suitable fixture I2 having a bifurcated end portion which engages the annular groove II in the corresponding end of the plunger pin 9. After the retaining ring I has been fitted within the shell, the holding fixture I2 is disengaged from the plunger pin 9, thereby permitting the compressed rubber member 3a to move, expand and fill the space between the inner and outer members of the joint and take shape of the ring 3 shown in Fig. l. The assembling plunger pin 9 is then withdrawn from the inner joint member 2 and the axial pin 6 of the finished joint is substituted for said assembling plunger pin. 55

While, the foregoing process is particularly applicable to resilient universal joints of the type illustrated, it is also applicable to other joints; and, of course, other mechanical means may be used for crowding the rubber into the joint instead of the means shown.

What we claim is:

1.- The process of assembling resilient joints comprising metallic inner and outer joint members having resilient material interposed therebetween, which comprises inserting said material between said inner and outer joint members, crowding said material endwise toward one end of said outer joint member by forcing said inner member longitudinally, mounting a retaining ring in the other end of said outer joint memher while holding the material so crowded, and then relfi a'sing thepressure'*endwis on said material to permit the same to fill the space between said inner joint member and-said retaining ring.

2. The process of assembling resilient joints comprising metallic inner and outer joint members having a sleeve of rubber compressed therebetween, which comprises mounting on said inner joint member a ring of rubber containing an amount of material suflicient to form said sleeve, forcing said inner joint member with the ring of rubber thereon endwise into said outer joint member beyond the position desired in the finished joint, inserting a retaining ring in said outer joint member, and releasing the pressure endwise on said rubber thus permitting said rubher to expand and fill the space between said inner joint member and said retaining ring.

3. The process of assembling resilient joints comprising inner and outer joint members hav ing a sleeve of rubber compressed therebetween, which consists in fixing on said inner joint member airing of rubber containing an amount of material'sufflcient to form said sleeve, forcing said' innerjoint member with the ring of rubber thereonintc said outer joint member beyond the position desired in the finished joint, inserting a retainingring in one end of said outer joint member and removing the endwise pressure on said inner joint. member to permit it to return to normal position.

4. The process of assembling resilient joints comprising inner and outer joint members having a sleeve of rubber compressed therebetween, which consists in fixing on said inner joint member a ring of rubber containing an amount of material sufficient to form said sleeve, forcing said inner joint with the ring of rubber thereon into said outer joint member beyond the posi tion desired in the finished joint, inserting a retaining ring in one end of said outer joint member, and releasing the pressure endwise on said rubber thus. permitting said rubber, to expand against said retaining ring.

5. The process of assembling resilient joints comprising inner and outer joint members hav ing a sleeve of rubber compressed therebetween, which consists in vulcanizing to said inner joint member a ring of rubber containing an amount of material sufficient to form said sleeve, press ing said inner joint member with the ring of rubber thereon endwise into said outer joint member, crowding said sleeve toward one end of said outer joint member by continuing such endwise pressure, inserting a retaining ring in the other end of said outer joint member while maintaining such endwise pressure, and releasing the pressure endwise on said rubber thus permitting said rubber to expand and fill the space between said inner joint member and said retaining ring.

6. The method of assembl ing a resilient joint of the type comprising generally afiietallic iiiner member having an approximately barrel shaped outer surface, a metallic outer member formed internally at one end to correspond to the outer surface of the corresponding end of said inner member, and a retaining ring for said outer metallic member; said members being interconnected by a resilient material which method comprises inserting said resilient material between said inner and outer members, forcing said inner member endwise toward the end of said outer member of corresponding shape, thereby crowding said material endwise, mounting a retaining ring in the other end of said outer joint member while holding the material so crowded, and then releasing the endwise pressure on said material to permit the same to fill the space between said inner joint member and said retaining ring.

7. The method of assembling a resilient joint of the type comprising generally a metallic inner member having an approximately barrel shaped outer surface, a metallic outer member formed internally at one end to correspond to the outer surface of the corresponding end of said inner member, a, retaining ring for said outer metallic member and a sleeve of rubber compressed be tween said joint members which method comprises mounting on said inner joint member a ring of rubber containing an amount of material suflicient to form said sleeve, forcing said inner joint member with the ring of rubber thereon endwise into said outer joint member toward the end thereof corresponding in shape to said inner member beyond the position desired in the finished joint, inserting the retaining ring in said outer joint member, and releasing the pressure endwise on said rubber thuspermitting said rubber to expand, and fill the space between said inher joint member and said retaining ring.

HERBERT W. ALDEN. LAURENCE R. BUCKENDALE. 

